Six students have been confirmed dead after a boat carrying passengers across the Buruku River in Buruku Local Government Area of Benue State capsized on Monday night.
The students were returning to school when the boat, reportedly overloaded, overturned midway through the journey.
A maritime worker who spoke on condition of anonymity said passengers were delayed to allow politicians returning from a church thanksgiving service in Logo to be ferried first. The delay forced the remaining passengers, including the students, to travel at night.
“Nightfall caught up with the remaining passengers, and the boat eventually departed with too many people onboard,” the witness said. “Midway into the journey, the boat capsized due to overloading. While many were rescued, six students drowned.”
Another witness said the boat carried more than 45 passengers and also had vehicles on board, adding that the heavy load made the vessel unstable.
Pastor Jethro Moor, a relative of one of the victims, said the deceased students were from Gbeji in Ukum Local Government Area and were heading back to Gboko for school.
He said two vehicles loaded with food items and over 20 passengers were on the boat at the time of the accident.
“The weight was too much for the boat. With the ongoing bridge construction, the navigable path has become narrow, and the boat could not remain stable under such load,” Moor said.
The chairman of Buruku Local Government Area, Raymond Zege Aondoakura, confirmed the incident and said security agencies and rescue teams were on the ground.
Benue State Commissioner for Marine and Blue Economy, Dennis Iyaghigba, described the tragedy as a warning against unsafe and unregulated river transportation. He said a full-scale investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the accident and whether safety rules were violated.
In a statement released by his media aide, Lubem Gena, Iyaghigba offered condolences to the families of the victims and the Buruku community.
The Police Public Relations Officer of the Benue State Command, DSP Udeme Edet, said the command had not yet received an official report on the incident.
Buruku River remains a major transport route for residents due to the absence of a bridge, despite repeated promises by successive governments to construct one.
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